Little One

Chapter 11

Loki's pov

Of course, he wouldn't kill her.

Part of me was grateful, the other part hated seeing her on life support. But that was the point. To hurt me, make me wish for "something so sweet as pain" as the other had so aptly put it.

I watched the line on the monitor and listened to the steady beeping.

Stark had informed me of the line went flat to hit the alarm button.

I'd healed her as much as I could, but the rest was up to her body. I reached out and held her hand.

"Just hold on. I've got a promise I intend to keep. Your mum will break out of Valhalla and drag me to Hel if I don't keep you safe." I whispered, attempting a chuckle at the end.

It sounded choked and forced.

"I'm going to be terribly lost without you, Älskling," I added.

Just wake up. For me. Please?

I sighed and leaned back.

Someone's hand patted my shoulder. "She'll wake up. She's too tough not to." Thor consoled.

"First Elvire? Now I'm losing Astrid too? I can't take much more of this? Haven't I been through enough yet?" I asked.

I hoped he hadn't noticed the crack in my voice.

"She will be okay Loki." He reconfirmed.

"Can you bring mother?" He nodded and left immediately.

I covered my face with my hands and sighed.

"Loki, pal. You want something to eat?" Stark called into the room.

"No. Thank you, though." I said.

"Loki, you haven't eaten in nearly a week."

I groaned. "Have you?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, Pepper's been threatening me." He said.

"I'm not hungry." I reaffirmed.

"Look, you don't even need to leave the room. I'll bring it to you. Just please eat? You're looking thinner than Natasha's patience. Stop hitting me, woman!"

I leaned back in my chair and saw Agent Romanoff off behind him. "Спспбо, Агент Романов. A sandwich will suffice." I said.

She nodded and dragged Stark off.

I redirected my attention to Astrid. "I get the feeling you'd ream me if I didn't eat until you woke up," I said.

Heavy footsteps sounded, and Thor came barrelling in. "I brought her. Father doesn't know anything." He said.

I smiled as tears welled in my eyes. "Thank you," I said in a cross between a whisper and a whimper.

He left, and my mother came and hugged me.

"She'll be okay. Her parents are some of the strongest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing." She said, stroking my hair as I broke down.

"And yet I've failed to protect both my wife and my daughter. I can't lose her, mother." I sobbed.

"I know, Loki. I know." She held me as I continued sobbing. "It'll be okay." She consoled.

"I need her to be okay. I promised. I promised I'd protect her, and she got hurt because of me." Mother nodded.

"But you also personally rained hellfire upon Thanos for hurting her. Thor told me what happened on the way." She said, wiping tears from my face.

"Hey, am I interrupting? I bring sustenance." Captain Rogers said, knocking on the door frame.

"No, it's alright." He came in and handed me a tray containing a sandwich, some kind of soup, and water.

"I only asked for..."

"Eat, mother's orders." She interjected.

I nodded and began eating silently, feeling better after doing so.

•••••••
"No, no one else is supposed to be back here." The captain's voice sounded in the hallway. "Hey! You can't go back there!"

Odin appeared in the doorway. "This is exactly why I didn't want you in her life. She was fine until you came and look at her now!" He roared.

"Odin wait!" Mother exclaimed, blocking me.

He moved her aside and took out Gungnir.

"Odin, don't!" He raised it, began to bring it down, and I closed my eyes. Nothing. Nothing. I opened them.

"Hey, guess what. I lived suckers."

I looked up, and a green glow surrounded his staff. I whipped around to see Astrid.

"Hey, you." She said softly.

"Hello, Älskling," I said, rising to hug her.

She embraced me and patted my back. "Can I breathe?" She asked.

"Nope, your lungs are mine now."

She wheezed a laugh before I released her.

"Kay. I don't know who you are, but you better yoink yourself back to wherever you came from before you need some milk because if you ever try to hurt my dad again, I'm going to yeet you into the sun. Ya, dig?"

He shook his head.

"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!" The spiderling said, walking in.

"I was watching the feed looking for my backpack, and I saw this so..."

Odin still looked confused.

"Go back to Asgard and don't return with any ill intentions towards my daughter or me." I clarified maliciously.

He frowned.

"Uh buh bye," Astrid said, waving.

Odin left, for now.

"Alright, young lady. You better heal because I have a titan I need to wipe from the face of the universe, and I intend to make him suffer."

"Prepare to hurt, Foxy Loxy. And I don't mean emotionally like I do." She said at the same time as the Spiderling.

"Precisely."